1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to window drapery hardware, and more specifically to drapery rods and their mounting brackets.
2. Prior Art
Drapery is used as a window enhancement for decorative purposes as well as for insulation, to provide privacy, and to control natural light. Drapery rods of a variety of shapes and sizes have been designed to support drapery or the structures to which the drapery is attached. Drapery rods are most often mounted to a substantially parallel vertical support surface such as a wall. A first member base plate typically engages the wall while a second member establishes the distance between the wall and the rod. The needs for easy horizontal adjustment of the second member and vertical adjustment of the base plate have long been addressed by inventors in the industry (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,294 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,091). More recently, inventors have turned their attention to making drapery rod assemblies and brackets more adaptable to nontraditional surfaces, or to multiple surfaces or window coverings. U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,775 offers a single-drapery rod assembly adapted to be mounted across a doorway, U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,295 offers a bracket adaptable to either mini-blinds or curtain rods, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,322,552 offers one adaptable to both the roman shade and the crisscross curtain singularly and in combination. U.S. Pat. No. 7,861,989 offers a bracket which can mount to a wall, ceiling, or opposing surfaces by adding or removing some parts of the bracket. This is significant since the mounting of a rod to opposing surfaces previously required a bracket like U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,978 quite different from those used for ceiling or wall mounting. However, a multi-purpose bracket that does not require parts to be changed out for different surfaces would be preferred to U.S. Pat. No. 7,861,989.
An assembly is needed that can easily mount a single-drapery rod to a ceiling or to a parallel or opposing vertical support surface using an inconspicuous bracket requiring little or no modification to adapt to differently-angled support surfaces.
Another need relates to the motorization of drapery rods. Electric remote controlled mechanisms for operating traverse rods have appeared on the market in increasing numbers of late, but the functionally effective ones are expensive and difficult to install. The small light-weight motors deemed necessary are themselves very expensive, and few can be attached to an existing rod. Operational inefficiency has also been a problem. US 2006/0162877 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,360,576 B2 can be attached to existing traverse rods, and the latter does improve the functioning of the drive pulley with a more complex double wheel system. But the performance of both inventions, like that of previous art, is still hindered by redirections of the traverse rod's transmission cord. The cord is redirected from a horizontal direction to a vertical one before engaging the drive pulley system, then redirected back from vertical to horizontal before returning to the traverse rod. Structural complexity and cost are increased as well as wear and tear and slippage of the transmission cord. Operational efficiency and effectiveness continue to decrease over time as the cord becomes smoother. A motorized assembly is needed which is structurally simpler, does not require the redirection of transmission cords done in prior art, is easy to install with traditional traverse rods, and can support and utilize a relatively inexpensive motor effectively and aesthetically.
The present invention offers a multi-purpose drapery rod assembly which provides a superior drapery platform through unique rod and cooperating bracket construction. The drapery rod assembly has a flexible bracketing system which can attach the non-motorized single drapery rod to not only substantially parallel support surfaces such as walls, but also to ceilings and to opposing support surfaces such as those found with recessed windows. The ends of the rod can also be attached at different heights on opposed or parallel vertical support surfaces, making it adaptable to non-rectangular windows, recessed or not.
The present invention also provides an assembly which motorizes a traverse rod. The easy to install assembly is structurally simple, does not require redirection of transmission cords, and can aesthetically and more effectively utilize a bigger and heavier but less expensive motor than available alternatives.
3. Objects and Advantages
The multi-purpose drapery rod assembly offers:    1) a non-motorized single-drapery rod with unique cooperating mounting brackets that can be inconspicuously affixed to surfaces lying at nearly any angle to the rod;    2) and a drapery rod assembly which motorizes a traverse rod.